Wrench.



A. W. PETERSON.

WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.26,1908.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

INVENTOR, d1 flz/T m 2%- MW ATTORNEY.

WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.AXEL W. PETERSON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO HERMAN PETERSON, OF FRESNO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, AND ONE-THIRD TO OSCAR BJORKLUND,

OF SAN FRANOISOO, CALIFORNIA.

WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

Application filed March 26, 1908. Serial No. 423,304.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Axnn lVILiinLM PETER- son, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Wrenches, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved wrench.

renches at present generally used, which are adjusted by means of a screw, are defective in the following respects. There is a possibility of a slight backward slip of the movable jaw of the wrench; sometimes the nut which controls the position of said movable jaw is accidentally turned; it not infrequently happens that the threads of the screw become deformed or swaged, making the nut hard to turn. Moreover, such wrenches require a comparatively long time to shift the movable jaw into position.

One object of my invention is to provide a wrench which will avoid the above objections; and a further object is to provide, for such a wrench, an attachment whereby a nut wrench may also be readily used as a pipe wrench.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a side view of the wrench; Fi 2 is a broken longitudinal sectional view tliereof; Fig. 3 is a similar view, but showing the wrench in the position in which the movable jaw is loose; Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line -i4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the attachment for converting a nut wrench into a pipe wrench.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates the shank of my improved wrench, having a. handle 2 and a fixed jaw 3. Upon said shank slides a movable jaw 4 having guides 5 b which it is guided upon said shank. Sai movable jaw is formed with an oblique inner surface 6, which slopes toward said shank in the direction of the fixed jaw. Between said oblique surface 6 and the opposing surface of the shank are interposed inner and outer wedges 7, 8. The inner and outer faces of the outer wedge 8 converge toward each other at a much smaller angle than those of the inner wedge 7 and the inner wedge may thus be considered as the main or primary wedge and the outer as the auxiliary or secondary wedge. The inner wedge is formed on its outer face with a heel 9,

against which the end of the outer wedge abuts, and said outer wedge has secured thereto, as shown at 10, a bent spring 11, the free end of which engages the rear end of the inner wedge. Pivoted at 12 in the sides of the movable jaw 4 is an eccentric l3 having a handle 14, said eccentric extending into a hole 15 formed in the outer or secondary Wedge, the inner wedge being also slightly concaved on its face next to said secondary wedge, to permit said eccentric to turn freely.

In operation, the handle having been moved outwards, into the position shown in Fig. 3, in which position the movable jaw is perfectly loose, said movable jaw is slid along the shank to the desired distance from the fixed jaw. Then the handle 14 is turned inwards, thereby turning the eccentric, to cause the outer wedge 8 to move towards the fixed jaw, thereby wedging the movable jaw to the shank. The spring 11 likewise acts to force the main wedge 7 in the same direction.

For the purpose of adapting the wrench for use upon pipes, I provide an attachment, which consists of a jaw 16, having a serrated surface 17 and havin a pin 18 extending through the thick end of said jaw. On one end of said pin is permanently pivoted an end of an arm 19, the other end of which is connected by a pin 20, surrounded by a spacing tube 21, to a spring metal arm 22, having an apertured free end 23 adapted to engage the projecting other end of the pin 18. To place the attachment upon the shank, the arm 22 is turned into such a position as will permit of the shank being interposed between the serrated jaw 16 and the spacing tube, and said arm 22 is turned into a direction parallel with the fixed arm 19, so that the apertured end 23 snaps over and engages the projecting end of the pin 18. The serrated jaw is thereby detachably secured to the shank. The back of said serrated jaw is rounded to permit it to roll upon the inner surface of the fixed jaw and thus assume any desired angular position to engage a pipe of any desired diameter.

I claim 1. In a wrench, the combination, with the shank, of a movable jaw, primary and secondary wedges between said movable jaw and shank both tapering in the same direction, and means for moving said secondary wedge longitudinally, substantially as described.

2. In a wrench, the combination, with the shank, of a movable aw, a main or primary wedge between said movable jaw and shank, a secondary wedge between the primary wedge and the movable jaw, means for moving said secondary wedge longitudinally, and a resilient connection whereby said main wedge is moved with the secondary wedge, substantially as described.

3. In a wrench, the combination, with the shank, of a movable jaw, a main or primary wedge between said movable jaw and shank, a secondary wedge between the primary wedge and the movable jaw both wedges tapering in the same direction, means for moving said secondary wedge longitudinally, said secondary wedge having a recess therein, and an eccentric pivotally supported upon said movable jaw and entering said recess and adapted thereby to move said secondary wedge, substantially as described.

4. In a wrench, the combination, with the shank, of a movable jaw, a main or primary wedge between said movable jaw and shank, a secondary wedge between the primary wedge and the movable jaw, means for moving said secondary Wedge longitudinally, said secondary wedge having a recess therein, an eccentric pivotally supported upon said movable jaw and entering said recess and adapted thereby to move said secondary wedge, and a spring secured to said secondary wedge and bent to engage the rear end of the primary wedge, substantially as described.

5. In combination with a shank, a fixed jaw, and a movable jaw, a serrated jaw adapted to abut against one of said jaws, and means for detachably securing it to the shank comprising two arms, one of which is permanently attached to said serrated jaw, a pin connecting the ends of said arms on the side of the shank remote from said jaw, the other arm being formed of spring metal and having an aperture in its free end, and the serrated jaw having a pin adapted to enter said aperture, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AXEL IV. PETERSON.

Witnesses FRANCES M. WRIGHT, D. B. RICHARDS. 

